It is known to apply bandages having an expandable, absorbent pad to a puncture wound to absorb body fluid from the puncture (hereinafter called "expandable bandages"). In expandable bandages, the absorbent pad expands as the absorbent pad absorbs body fluid to apply an even pressure distribution to the puncture site. Expandable bandages also include a band having an adhesive on one or both ends to secure the absorbent pad to the body part. The absorbent pad can be in a variety of shapes but typically has a narrow length and width for use with puncture wounds.
Expandable bandages have numerous problems. Some types of expandable bandages exert little, if any, hydrostatic pressure on the puncture site as the absorbent pad experiences only a slight amount of expansion during absorption of body fluid. The pressure exerted on the puncture is primarily the pressure, if any, from securing the bandage to the body part. The pressure distribution on the body part is therefore substantially constant, regardless of the volume of body fluid absorbed by the absorbent pad. These bandages not only may fail to exert a sufficient pressure on the puncture site to assist clotting but also may in fact prevent clotting by absorbing the body fluid before the body fluid is able to clot.
Other types of expandable bandages, though having a higher degree of expansion of the absorbent pad than the type of expandable bandage described above, also have certain drawbacks, especially when significant quantities of body fluid are absorbed by the absorbent pad. As the absorbent pad expands, the bandages may experience a decline in the amount of pressure exerted on the puncture. The increasing pressure against the pad has caused deformation of the absorbent pad, overstretching of the band, and/or failure of the adhesive bond securing the bandage to the body part or the absorbent pad to the band.
There is a need for a bandage that can effectively exert a hydrostatic pressure on a breach in a body part to induce clotting of the body fluid.
There is a further need for a bandage that can continuously and effectively exert a hydrostatic pressure on a breach that is sufficient to aid clotting of the body fluid.
There is a further need for a bandage that can absorb the significant quantities of body fluid from types of breaches other than punctures (e.g., lacerations and deep and ragged cuts), which experience greater amounts of body fluid loss than punctures, while exerting continuously against the breach a pressure sufficient to slow bleeding.